An angel in Sodom : Henry Gerber and the birth of the gay rights movement / Jim Elledge.

Author
Elledge, Jim, 1950- [Browse]
Format
Book
Language
English
Published/​Created
Chicago, Illinois : Chicago Review Press, [2023]
Description
xiv, 290 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Availability

Copies in the Library

Location Call Number Status Location Service Notes
Firestone Library - Stacks HQ75.8.G473 E45 2023 Browse related items Request

    Details

    Subject(s)
    Homosaurus term(s)
    Library of Congress genre(s)
    Summary note
    "Born in 1892 in Germany, Henry Gerber was expelled from school as a boy and lost several jobs as a young man because of his homosexual activities. He emigrated to the United States and enlisted in the army for employment. After his release, he explored Chicago's gay subculture: cruising Bughouse Square, getting arrested for "disorderly conduct," and falling in love. He was institutionalized for being gay, branded an "enemy alien" at the end of World War I, and given a choice: to rejoin the army or be imprisoned in a federal penitentiary. Gerber re-enlisted and was sent to Germany in 1920. In Berlin, he discovered a vibrant gay rights movement, which made him vow to advocate for the rights of gay men at home. He founded the Society for Human Rights, the first legally recognized US gay-rights organization, on December 10, 1924. When police caught wind of it, he and two members were arrested. He lost his job, went to court three times, and went bankrupt. Released, he moved to New York, disheartened. Later in life, he joined the DC chapter of the Mattachine Society, a gay-rights advocacy group founded by Harry Hay who had heard of Gerber's group, leading him to found Mattachine"-- Amazon.
    Bibliographic references
    Includes bibliographical references and index.
    ISBN
    • 9781641606059 (hardcover)
    • 1641606053 (hardcover)
    OCLC
    1294284470
    Statement on language in description
    Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...
    Other views
    Staff view

    Supplementary Information